NNP wants parolees tagged

2003-08-05 15:58

Cape Town - The NNP would like the correctional services department to consider electronic tagging to keep and eye on parolees.

Great care should be taken when releasing prisoners on early parole, said New National Party spokesperson Johan Durand on Tuesday.

He was commenting on Correctional Services Minister Ben Skosana's announcement earlier in the day that the release on parole of about 8 000 prisoners would be speeded up to relieve overcrowding.

Skosana said this would be done by advancing their parole date by 10 months.

Durand said in a statement the NNP supported the announcement, but the safety of the public also had be considered when releasing these prisoners.

A Pretoria-based company had already developed a system which included a "black box" mounted in the prisoner's home next to the telephone, he said.

The system raised an alarm on a centralised computer when the prisoner strayed a certain distance from the box.

More recent advances in this type of tagging included satellite technology, in which cellphones were used instead of landlines.

"If this system is implemented, the department could keep an eye on the prisoners who were released, and the public will also be protected," Durand said.

Briefing the media in Pretoria, Skosana said the new measure would only apply to prisoners whose parole had already been approved. They would still leave prison under parole conditions.

He said a proposal by Inspecting Judge of Prisons Hannes Fagan was also being examined to release awaiting-trial prisoners with bail of less than R1 000.

This would apply to petty crimes only.

"The numbers in this case range from 13 000 to 15 000. This is also being looked at by the department of justice and the national prosecuting authority," Skosana said.

- SAPA